"The government is not thinking of employment. Thirty employees will ultimately be made redundant.

"There is clearly a market for (gas-fired power station supply) otherwise they would close it down now."

Of the 30 staff at Swanbank E, 20 staff have accepted voluntary redundancies to come into effect in December with 10 remaining on site as the gas-fired Swanbank E power station was put in cold storage.

"This is just the State Government playing with people's electricity prices to make the books look appealing to prospective buyers," Mr Young said.